Yearly Traditions
by Zelda Ophelia
Summary: If Minerva had a slightly smug look on her face as she stepped into Pomona's quarters, they chose to ignore it. For bethbethbeth in the 2nd HP genficathon; reposted from LJ.


If Minerva had a slightly smug look on her face as she stepped into Pomona's quarters, her colleagues chose to ignore it. She did, after all, have some right and Severus wasn't here yet to rise to the bait she silently proffered. Pausing inside the entrance to let her eyes adjust to the much brighter atmosphere than in the corridor - there were multiple charms in place to increase the brightness for the various magical plants the Herbology Professor kept in her rooms - she looked over the homey and comfortable quarters done up in florals and Hufflepuff colours as she greeted her colleagues. Accepting the cup of tea Pomona offered her, she settled into the flowered settee, smoothing her tartan skirt before reaching for a biscuit from the plate Filius pushed in her direction from a chair stacked with gold and black striped pillows. Carefully holding it over a napkin, so as to not scatter crumbs across her skirt, she turned to the two other heads of house present.

"Did your students get settled in this evening without problem?" she asked over the rim of her teacup, sipping slowly at the still hot liquid.

"As well as usual for their first night here," Filius replied with a slight shake of his head. "There were the usual bouts of homesickness with a couple of the first years, but that is to be expected, isn't it?"

"Perhaps with your students, Filius," Snape interjected smoothly from the entrance. He nodded at them as he took the remaining seat and continued. "Slytherins are never ones to be plagued with homesickness."

"Of course they are not," Minerva retorted with a sly smile. "Young Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle were blubbering as they left dinner because they didn't get enough to eat."

Severus gave a slight smile as he took the delicately painted teacup a chuckling Professor Sprout offered him. "Exactly. Not that either of those two qualify as model Slytherins. Now Mr. Malfoy, on the other hand-"

"Is everything you'd expect of a Slythern?"

Tipping his head in acquiescence, a dark look briefly crossed Snape's face. "Unfortunately, yes, Mr. Malfoy is. He takes after his father very much in that regard."

As if sensing the turn the conversation was about to take, Pomona stepped in, saying lightly. "Yes, they do tend to, don't they? Take after family that is. You would not believe how much it warmed my heart to hear little Susan Bones telling Megan Jones all about how she's going to be an Auror like her Uncle Edgar as they were walking to Hufflepuff House after dinner. He was a brilliant student, you know, did Hufflepuff proud so many times over." She sighed softly, thinking back to Edgar Bones's days as a student. "His death was such a shame, a true loss to the Wizarding World. It's good to see Susan wanting to step into his shoes."

"He was one of the best Charms students in his year. I hope to see such good work from his niece, as well." Professor Flitwick smiled as he set his empty cup down on his saucer, waving his wand at the teapot so it rose in the air and refilled the cup itself. "I've noticed our students' tendency to take after their elders as well. Miss Turpin, for example, is already showing her mother's aptitude for charms, and in the same alarming fashion she did. I had to interrupt my welcome speech three times to tell her to stop charming Miss Patil's hair ribbon to change colours. It was most distracting, for all of us." Nodding slightly as the teapot finished pouring and reaching for his refilled cup, he continued, "Thankfully, other than a few homesick tears on the parts of Miss Brockhurst and Miss Patil, things otherwise did go smoothly."

"It may not have been just homesickness, Filius," Minerva spoke up, reminded of her own experience with her house earlier that evening. "I noticed the same from the Patil girl in Gryffindor. One of my prefects managed to discover through her tears that this is the first night the Patil twins have spent apart."

"Oh dear," Pomona, much to Severus and Minerva's amusement, reached over and patted Filius on the hand. Minerva was almost certain she would have done the same for her had she been sitting within reach, and tried to inconspicuously draw her hands from the arms of her chair to her lap. "I'd suggest both of you keep a pot of tea on tonight, just in case."

"Just in case," Severus echoed in a most concerned voice, before they all started chuckling with Pomona waving her hand at him.

"Don't mock me, young man. You know as well as I do that you'll have a few Slytherins to deal with as well."

"And here I thought that is what prefects were for."

"Only if you want an irate owl from Narcissa Malfoy," Minerva cut in teasingly.

"Touché," he tipped his head at her. "I'm certain we all have a short night ahead of us. Another joy of first years."

"I hope to not have too much trouble. Other than the distraught Miss Patil and the excitable Miss Brown my young ones seemed to all be rather grounded."

"Even Harry Potter?" Flitwick asked, watching Minerva curiously as she sipped her tea. They were all surprised the conversation hadn't moved in that particular first year's direction yet, and now seemed as good a time as any for it to do so.

"Especially Mr. Potter. He's too much in awe of his surroundings to bother getting homesick. Not that that horrid Muggle family he lives with has given him much to be homesick for. And the Weasley boys appear to have taken to him, they'll watch out for him."

"Knowing Molly Weasley, that'll be more than enough for her take him in as a son of her own."

"Let's just hope he and Ronald Weasley don't decide to follow in Fred and George's footsteps." Minerva shook her head at that thought. "Merlin help us if they do."

Or take after his father and his crowd, Snape thought to himself as he bit tastelessly into his biscuit and silently vowed to do everything he could to prevent that turn of events. He looked up from his thoughts as Pomona spoke again with a grin.

"Speaking of those two young tricksters, have they given you any trouble yet, Minerva? I have some bouncing bulbs in need of repotting if they do." Her eyes twinkled as she spoke.

"Thankfully no, but I won't hold my breath. They were muttering with each other as they headed up to their dorm. I fully intend to hand them over to Filch if they try anything, but I'll be certain to suggest that if I do." She glanced up to the ceiling with a shake of her head. "Why they are such terrors when both Bill and Charlie at their wildest were still polite young gentlemen is beyond me."

"I don't suppose any of you would be interested in continuing our tradition?" Flitwick asked cautiously, with a smile.

"It is, after all, tradition." Pomona grinned with him, "How long have we been doing this after all? Years, I know that much."

"I think I could be interested. While my Slytherins aren't necessarily angels, I doubt they will be the first transgressors."

"Of course, I'm in." Minerva pulled a mokeskin purse from her pocket. "What is the wager this year?"

"Should we set it low? Considering, of course, the terrors residing in your house?" Teased Pomona as she stood and crossed the room to her desk where she kept her wallet. "We wouldn't want to make things unfair."

"Pomona! Really. I say we go the same as last year. Filius? Severus? Any objections?" When neither of the men objected, she pulled out a few shiny coins and laid them on the table.

"We can ask Albus to look after this, until the wager is over of course. He has always been more than agreeable. I believe, however, that I'll have to be going." Holding up a pocket watch with the hand pointed to 'first years', Flitwick hopped down from the chair on which he sat. "It would appear that the second bout of homesickness has struck this evening."

"Good luck, Filius." Minerva stood as she spoke. "I should go and check on my 'terrors' as well."

Not that she went far, with the ghostly form of Sir Nicholas de Mimsy-Porpington floating in just as Flitwick opened the door of Professor Sprout's quarters. "Professor McGonagall! Oh, there you are! I'm afraid you must come at once."

Ignoring Severus and Pomona chuckling behind her, she turned to Nicholas with an exasperated look. "What now, Nicholas?"

"It's the Weasley twins, I'm afraid. They and their friend Lee Jordan are attempting to remove the toilet seats in the girls' toilet on the fourth floor. They were saying something about sending one home to their mother!"

Closing her eyes briefly with her hand to her forehead, Minerva turned to her colleagues. "As I said, I'm afraid I must go."

"Of course," Pomona nodded with a slight grin, waving her on, "Go and take care of your little terrors."

Severus stood to leave as well, nodding at Minerva before turning towards his portion of the dungeons. He turned back with a slight smirk, "I suppose this means you'll be out of the wager?"

"Only if they actually managed to remove a seat, Severus." She gave him a slight smirk of her own before leaving to find the Weasley twins and Lee Jordan before they caused much more mischief.


End file.
